The owner of a haunted house in Pennsylvania has a new idea to spook his patrons: the eerie whirring of fans, the humming of electricity, and the looming specter of an overhyped speculative bubble doomed to pop. That’s right, he wants to build an AI data center, according to a report from Bloomberg.
Derek Strine runs Pennhurst Asylum, a haunted house that lives inside the abandoned remains of a state-run medical institute. And while the property has been thoroughly monetized—hosting everything from historical tours and photography sessions to overnight “paranormal investigations” when not being used for a classic haunt in which the asylum is overrun by spooky actors (OooOOoohhh it’s a non-uuuuuunion joooobbbb)—the owner has apparently been possessed by the spirit of late-stage capitalism. Per Bloomberg, he has designs on making his 130 acres into the future home of a hyperscaler.
It’s not particularly difficult to imagine why Strine wants to make the shift. While converting a state hospital turned haunted asylum into a data center facility isn’t necessarily the most straightforward conversion in the world, the real estate developer likely realizes that land is at a premium, and managing a data center once it is stood up is probably less involved than handling staffing and live events. That said, the upstart costs aren’t exactly cheap. Bloomberg reported that Strine and his partners have already poured more than $16 million into the conversion project, and the first phase alone has been penciled in at $60 million to be spent on engineering and permitting costs alone. By contrast, Strine bought into the haunted house project for $3 million.
The project is also getting lots of pushback from the community, which doesn’t necessarily love the haunted house project in the first place—but they’d seemingly take that over the haunting presence of powering the always-watching eye of Big Tech like some Scooby-Doo-style paintings where the eyes follow you. They’ve described concerns about nearby residents having to deal with noise pollution and potential water shortages as their supply is siphoned off to cool the data center. Which, good call on their part: plenty of communities before them have found living next to a data center deeply unpleasant and potentially unhealthy.
What’s perhaps most notable about the haunted-house-to-data-center pipeline, though, is that it is a shining example of just how deep into the probably unsustainable depths of the AI lifecycle that we are. No knock on Strine, necessarily, but Bloomberg notes that he has no experience in building data centers. He just sees dollar signs. And he’s not alone. According to a recent survey from real estate service firm CBRE, 95% of real estate investors say they plan to increase their investments in data centers.
If there’s one way that Pennhurst Asylum is the perfect site for a planned data center, it’s this: most of these planned projects never come to fruition. According to data center consultancy company ASG, about 90% of announced data centers will never actually get built. They are ghost centers. Isn’t that fitting?
CLEVELAND (WJW) – There’s something unique about fall — the leaves turn to hues of red and orange, the days grow shorter and an ominous chill fills the air.
It’s also a time when more people become intrigued by the unexplained. For those living in Northeast Ohio, you don’t have to travel far to find something a little extra eerie this Halloween season.
Whether it be personal stories, old legends, or visits by nationally-recognized paranormal investigators, Ohio is no stranger to reports of ghostly sightings and spooky spots.
Here are some of the reportedly most haunted places in Northeast Ohio.
Franklin Castle
Settled in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood, Franklin Castle is believed to be one of the most haunted houses in the state.
Also known as the Tiedemann House, the Victorian home stands out behind its black iron gate on Franklin Boulevard with its stone walls, red-lined door and windows and a sharp spire near the front.
The historic house was built by German immigrant Hannes Tiedemann in the late nineteenth century in what was, at the time, among the most upscale areas of the city, according to Cleveland Historical.
The house was sold in 1896, one year after Tiedemann’s wife died there. According to the Cleveland Historical, the home passed through several owners before suffering substantial damage in an arson in 1999.
Over the years, ghostly rumors started to spread about the spirits of Tiedemann’s wife and their daughter Emma, who died before the house was built, still residing in Franklin Castle.
According to the castle’s website, people have reported hearing a young girl crying and footsteps throughout the house, as well as items being moved and a “faceless spirit” showing itself on the third floor.
Skeletal remains were even found inside the castle in the 1970s.
Learn more about tours, paranormal investigations and overnight stays here.
Erie Street Cemetery
FOX 8 photo
FOX 8 photo
You’ve probably seen it while leaving a ball game at Progressive Field. In the heart of downtown Cleveland is the city’s oldest existing cemetery.
Erie Street Cemetery, housing thousands of burials, was built around 1827, according to the City of Cleveland.
In recent years, author and investigative historian Bill Krejci says people believe the cemetery is haunted by Joc-O-Sot, a Native American chief also known as Walking Bear, who died in Cleveland in 1844.
But while researching lost ghost stories in his new book, Krejci learned stories of an “Erie Street Ghost” that reportedly stalked the area of the cemetery between 1861 and 1863.
“It was described as this colossal phantom being between 10 and 25 feet tall, usually white with a pointy hat. Some said it had antlers protruding from its head,” Krejci said. “That’s a story that’s been forgotten for about 150 years.”
The cemetery is nestled on East 9th Street, but it was formerly known as Erie Street. It’s rumored to be one of the most haunted cemeteries in Cleveland.
Cleveland Grays Armory
Next to the Erie Street Cemetery, the oldest independent armory in the United States has been watching over Cleveland for more than a century.
The Grays Armory was built in the late 19th Century by the Cleveland Grays, a volunteer militia company established in Cleveland to help protect the city after the War of 1812.
The armory now serves as a museum and venue for public and private events. Members continue preserving this piece of Cleveland military history, but some believe the facility is also home to spirits.
FOX 8 toured the armory with Cleveland Grays president Bill Roediger last year, who shared some otherworldly stories from members over the years.
FOX 8 photo
FOX 8 photo
FOX 8 photo
One of those stories involved an exterminator who was working in the basement, near the firing range.
“He’s down here by himself and the staff hears him scream. He comes running up the stairs and says, ‘I’m not coming back,’” Roediger said. “He felt someone behind him touch his shoulder and could feel their breath on him. He didn’t come back for four or five months.”
In another case, members were holding a meeting when they heard the piano start playing.
“They go upstairs and at the piano there’s a guy in an old military uniform. He turns around and looks, stops playing and disappears,” Roediger said.
FOX 8 photo
In another instance, a staff member was walking across the drill floor when they smelled cherry vanilla smoke.
“Lou, who was a member for 50 years and lived in the back, smoked cherry vanilla pipe smoke, so they felt that was his spirit and it wouldn’t surprise me if he was still around,” Roediger said.
People have also reported seeing the spirit of a woman in white on the third floor.
“She would be up here looking at her grave in the cemetery across the way because this was a safe place, if you want to use that term,” Roediger said.
FOX 8 photo
While researching the area, Bill Krejci learned that there used to be a neighborhood at the site before the armory was built.
“In 1884, there was a woman who accidentally mistook a bottle of ammonia for her medicine and drank it. It killed her,” he said.
A similar tragedy happened involving another victim in 1869, Krejci said.
“Two girls about the same age, separated by 15 years, died in almost the exact same manner on the site. I’m not going to say that’s who the girl in white is, but hey, that’s our first clue,” he said.
FOX 8 photo
Back in 2016, in an episode of “Ghost Hunters,” the manager invited The Atlantic Paranormal Society to investigate the armory. During their investigation, TAPS reported hearing footsteps and being touched on the shoulder.
People have also reported seeing strange smoke and shadows through the facility.
The Death Car (Midwest Railway Preservation Society)
In the industrial flats of Cleveland, the Midwest Railway Preservation Society is home to many pieces of locomotive history, but one of the most famous (or infamous) has to be a vintage Pullman heavyweight passenger car often called “The Death Car.”
Back in August of 1943, an 11-car Lackawanna Limited, carrying more than 500 people, was heading to Buffalo, New York when it collided with another train stopped on the tracks.
Several cars derailed, and steam and scalding hot water escaped from the other train engine and filled Nickel Plate Railroad 62 through its open windows, killing many people inside.
Eighteen passengers died at the scene of the crash while 11 others died at the hospital. Most victims were inside car #62, later known as “The Death Car.”
Sold in the early 1960s, “The Death Car” now resides outside the old B&O Roundhouse station, where the nonprofit Midwest Railway Preservation Society works to preserve Ohio’s railroad history.
Last year, FOX 8 spoke to Ken Yandek, a board chairman with the preservation society, who said guests and volunteers have reported being touched on the shoulder and seeing shadows in “The Death Car.” There are also reports of the windows slamming shut on their own.
Years ago, during a tour, a woman raised her hand and asked when the man dressed up at the back of the train car would have a chance to speak. It turns out, there was no one there.
Many paranormal investigators have checked out the place for themselves. In fact, it was featured on an episode of “Ghost Hunters,” where TAPS came back with recordings of voices and footsteps inside the facility.
You can learn about tours and upcoming events at the Midwest Railway Preservation Society on their website.
Gore Orphanage Road
It may seem like a normal stretch of road on the edge of Lorain County, but Gore Orphanage Road is home to one of the most well-known urban legends in Northern Ohio.
For decades, stories have floated around of children haunting the area where an old orphanage used to stand.
Historians say legends surrounding dozens of children dying in an orphanage fire in the early 1900s are untrue, but according to the Vermilion Historical Society, the real story is also a grim one.
Reverend Johann Sprunger opened the Light of Hope orphanage on Gore Road in 1902.
The historical society says the orphanage, which housed up to 120 boys and girls at a time, came under investigation in 1909 after runaways would claim abuse, neglect and outright horrific conditions at the facility.
Some of the stories alleged that children were beaten and fed sick cattle while living there, and their rooms were infested by rats and the boys had to share bath water, the historical society says.
Historians say nothing came out of the investigation since Ohio lacked the necessary regulations at the time, but Sprunger died two years later and the orphanage closed for good in 1916.
Ghost stories and legends surrounding the orphanage and a nearby mansion, built and later abandoned by farmer Joseph Swift, continued to spread and skew over the years.
Even today, visitors to the area have reported seeing ghostly apparitions, orbs and, in some cases, child fingerprints left behind on vehicles.
Ohio State Reformatory
No list of spooky places in the state would be complete without mentioning the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield.
Many say, including reports by BBC, it’s one of the most haunted places in the country.
First admitting in 1896, the Ohio State Reformatory was used to hold and rehabilitate inmates “too old for juvenile corrections but had committed offenses more minor than those that sent others to the Ohio State Penitentiary,” according to the facility’s website.
FOX 8 photo
According to the website, the state started converting it into a maximum security prison in the early 1960s. The reformatory shut down for good in 1990 after inmates sued the state over conditions at the deteriorating facility.
Fast forward to today, the Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society works to restore the old prison and offers tours to guests.
FOX 8 photo
The massive building has become a hot spot for reports of paranormal activity and hauntings. Guests and tour guides have reported seeing shadow people, hearing voices and footsteps.
Others have reported being grabbed or feeling like someone was watching them.
Imagine you tour a house you love, only to find out it has a haunted past. Your instinct may be to run away screaming—but you might be missing out on a rare opportunity.
Furthermore, you’d also find yourself in the minority: According to a spooky survey done by Clever’s Real Estate Witch, 52% of Americans would actually consider buying a haunted house, with 72% claiming they’d do so as long as they got a lower price.
For the brave, agents agree that you may actually score a deal, if you’re willing to risk a run-in with a spirit from the beyond!
Why a haunted house may be a good idea
Jokes a side, let’s be clear that when a house is classified as “haunted,” this is typically derived from legend, lore, or lights that flicker in the night. In other words, no concrete proof.
Nevertheless, when a community or homeowner dubs a home “haunted,” the notoriety can be a deterrent for many people, creating opportunity for others.
“Remember, that a haunted reputation doesn’t necessarily make it a bad home,” explains Casey Gaddy, senior real estate agent at Keller Williams Realty in Philadelphia.
“Neighbors might say it’s haunted, but in reality it’s a house with good bones that’s been neglected and needs the right buyer to bring it back to life,” explains Gaddy.
“If someone has no fear, they could end up with a fabulous bargain,” she says.
Sometimes, a “haunted” home is merely an abandoned home or a fixer-upper that just needs some TLC. The latter has actually become a hot commodity, with fixer-upper homes are up to 78% cheaper in several metros, including places in the South like Jackson, MS.
Buying one of these “haunted” estates or “murder houses,” as some might call them, may ultimately be too disturbing for you.
“We all have our own level of comfort with things of this nature,” Gaddy acknowledges. “With that said, if you discover there was tragedy or horrific events that would weigh heavily on you or your family, then it may be worth passing up any savings.”
Moreover, if resale value is important to you, you might want to think twice as perception is value.
“Sometimes, no matter how many renovations you do, some properties never shake their spooky reputations,” says Gaddy.
Legalities around haunted houses
Most states don’t require sellers to disclose their home is haunted, largely because hauntings can’t be scientifically proven.
“You can prove a home has radon, and you can prove a home has mold, but there isn’t a widely accepted test to prove a home has a ghost,” says Mark J. Schmidt, broker associate at RE/MAX Country in Milltown, NJ.
New York follows the “Ghostbusters ruling” in which sellers must reveal their house is haunted if that’s the way it’s advertised to the public.
While New Jersey and Massachusetts don’t require sellers to be upfront about their haunted house, they must be honest if buyers ask them directly.
Minnesota has a “buyer beware” rule that states sellers aren’t required to disclose paranormal activity, and it’s the buyer’s responsibility to do the research if something doesn’t seem right.
Do your homework before closing
Before you sign on the dotted line, be honest about how you feel in the home. If there is a negative energy, you might experience a certain heaviness or dread when in the property.
“This is something to watch out for while initially touring the property, and any other time you’re there, like for the home inspection,” advises Schmidt.
Also, don’t forget to do your own research, ideally before making an offer. Schmidt explains that if the home is over 100 years old, there is a good chance either someone died in it or a wake for a deceased person was held there.
You can search online to see if there have been any events that would claim lives at the home, such as a natural disaster, fire, or homicide.
“A great resource I recommend to anyone who is concerned about whether someone may have passed in the property is DiedInHouse.com. For a small fee, they’ll tell you if anyone has died in the home,” says Schmidt.
Lastly, Zulanas recommends you invest in all contractual inspections plus additional paranormal-focused inspections. These can give you some peace of mind and prevent costly repairs for things like mold, termites, and asbestos—and alert you to how many bumps in the night you’ll be up against in your new abode!
A “legendary” haunted house in Fort Worth has been named the No. 1 scariest Halloween attraction — not just in the U.S., but in the world.
HauntWorld, a website with hundreds of reviews and thousands of listings for spooky attractions, considers several factors when producing its annual list of the 13 best haunted houses.
For the 2025 rankings, Cutting Edge Haunted House on East Lancaster Avenue came out on top for its scale, production and “ability to transport guests into a world where imagination takes hold and fear becomes unforgettable.”
Visitors enter the Cutting Edge Haunted House at 1701 E. Lancaster Ave. on Oct. 7, 2007. RODGER MALLISON STAR-TELEGRAM
What makes Cutting Edge the scariest haunted house in the world?
Cutting Edge is a “legendary Halloween experience” that has grown over the past 35 years, earning accolades that include several world records and national reader choice awards. “A towering force in the haunted attraction industry, Cutting Edge has earned its place at the top by crafting an experience that lingers long after guests exit its shadowy halls,” HauntWorld writes.
“Hidden within the walls of a century-old meatpacking plant, this Fort Worth legend draws guests into a multi-level journey where dim corridors shift, illusions flicker, and the line between reality and nightmare quietly disappears.”
Brent James of Mesquite poses at Cutting Edge Haunted House in Fort Worth on Thursday, October 20, 2011. (Star-Telegram/Khampha Bouaphanh) Khampha Bouaphanh Star-Telegram
Cutting Edge trains its actors through a program called “Boo University” where each cast member goes through multiple rounds of auditions, described as similar to a Broadway production. The experience is scary enough to carry a warning and disclaimer.
John Hudnall of Fort Worth plays a clown at Cutting Edge Haunted House in Fort Worth on Oct. 20, 2011. Khampha Bouaphanh Star-Telegram
For those who want to get the spookies scared out of them, here’s how you can get tickets for Cutting Edge, the scariest haunted house in the world.
For those who want a good scare, but not the scariest in the world, we’re also including other haunted house attractions in Fort Worth that are open for Halloween 2025.
Cutting Edge Haunted House is photographed in Fort Worth on Thursday, October 20, 2011. Khampha Bouaphanh Fort Worth Star-Telegram
How to get tickets for Cutting Edge Haunted House in Fort Worth
Tickets for Cutting Edge Haunted House are “extremely limited, so buy early,” suggests its website.
Depending on that, tickets range from $29.99 to $59.99.
Parking is $20, cash only.
There are no refunds, unless ticket insurance is purchased for $5.
No purses.
Children must be at least 42 inches tall.
The last date to attend Cutting Edge is Sunday, Nov. 1. The latest time slot available for purchase on this date is 8 to 8:45 p.m.
Cutting Edge Haunted House is located at 1701 E. Lancaster Ave. in Fort Worth. It is open only on weekends until the week of Halloween, when it’s open every day except Monday.
Other haunted house attractions in Fort Worth
Fort Worth Haunted House
Hangman’s House of Horrors
4400 Blue Mound Road, far north Fort Worth.
General admission (longest wait time), $39. Fast pass (shorter wait time), $49. Timed entry (nearly no wait), $64.
$10 parking.
Open on weekends only. Time varies by specific day. See the full calendar here.
Ella Gonzales is a service journalism reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She is part of a team of local journalists who answer reader questions and write about life in North Texas. Ella mainly writes about local restaurants and where to find good deals around town.
The Omni Grove Park InnIf you’ve graduated from Halloween’s staged haunted houses and their almost predictable jump scares, you’re ready for an unscripted spooky slumber party with ghosts at a haunted hotel.
At the country’s most historic hotels, some guests have never checked out, their spirits purportedly lingering on the hotel grounds and playing pranks on travelers — like pulling sheets off the bed in the middle of the night and causing lights to mysteriously flicker on and off.
Book a room at one of these 12 U.S. hotels that are rumored to be haunted and enjoy a spirited stay — if you dare. Oh, and to really get in on the fun, don’t forget to pack your electromagnetic field detectors.
La Posada Hotel in Laredo, Texas
La Posada Hotel
La Posada Hotel is a Spanish Revival-style boutique hotel that’s perched on the banks of the Rio Grande River and that once served as a school and a convent for the Sisters of Divine Providence. Over the years, hotel guests have reported seeing the likeness of a little girl with pigtails skipping through the lobby and a restless nun haunting the hotel. Security cameras even captured a dark figure floating 10 feet above the ground, according to the hotel. Other ghostly encounters guests have experienced include cold spots, moving objects and the sound of footsteps in the seemingly empty ballroom.
The haunts don’t stop in the hotel, though: La Posada also houses the Republic of the Rio Grande Museum that’s filled with artifacts from the 1800s. Inside the museum, a cradle is known to start rocking all by itself, and a museum voice box intended to narrate the exhibits turns on randomly. A team of paranormal investigators confirmed significant activity in the museum in 2010.
The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado
The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park
During a stay in room 217 at The Stanley Hotel, horror author Stephen King jolted awake from a nightmare that inspired him to pen “The Shining.” The Colonial Revival-style hotel has a commanding presence in Estes Park, which is a gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park and a notable destination for paranormal investigators because it partially sits on a quartz and limestone mineral belt that they say helps retain residual energy, making it conducive for ghostly activities.
As for The Stanley itself? It’s been referred to as a “Disneyland for ghosts” with the central staircase a place where camera-ready guests capture lots of orbs. The hotel has been featured on episodes of “Ghost Hunters,” and visitors can embark on a Spirited Night Tour that relays the historic property’s spirited folklore.
Interesting fact: The movie adaptation of “The Shining” includes exterior shots of the Timberline Lodge in Oregon. However, you might recognize the stately Stanley from a scene in “Dumb and Dumber.”
Heceta Lighthouse in Yachats, Oregon
Heceta Lighthouse
The Heceta Lighthouse keeps watch over the scenic Oregon Coast where Pacific waves crash against the rocky cliffs.
Those looking for a unique stay with surreal views can check into the old lightkeeper’s quarters at this historic red roof lighthouse. One caveat: You might run into Rue, the wife of an 1890s lighthouse keeper named Frank DeRoy. Lore has it that Rue had a daughter who died tragically during her time there. Guests have reported the scent of flowers or a rose perfume wafting in the air and have noticed imprints on their beds appear out of nowhere.
The Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina
The Omni Grove Park Inn & Spa
A strange but gentle spirit known as the “Pink Lady” has haunted The Omni Grove Park Inn for decades, according to hotel rumors. It’s believed that she was a “guest of a guest” during the 1920s, falling over the edge of the balcony and meeting her demise on the Palm Court floor. Details of her death are unconfirmed as it’s unknown whether she jumped, fell or was pushed. But since her untimely passing that’s shrouded in mystery, guests have reported seeing a pink mist or an apparition of a young woman with long hair wearing a pink gown.
The Washoe Club in Virginia City, Nevada
The Washoe Club
Paranormal investigators from “Ghost Adventurers” claim to have come across the “most compelling paranormal evidence ever captured” at Virginia City’s Washoe Club. The epitome of a boom-and-bust mining town, miners went from rags to riches in Virginia City when they struck silver and gold in the resource-rich Comstock Lode.
But this frozen-in-time ghost town outside of Reno had lots of Wild West drama that’s ready-made for ghost stories, including a fire that ravaged the town, a red light district, lover’s quarrels and fatal mining accidents.
For an immersive experience, the Washoe Club offers daily ghost tours or, for $400, your group can get access to all three floors of the hotel, the crypt and the spiral staircase for an full-on investigation.
Hotel Congress in Tucson, Arizona
Hotel Congress
In the heart of Tucson’s downtown, Hotel Congress was built in 1919, and during its century-long history it survived a massive fire and has been a hideout for outlaws like John Dillinger.
The second floor is rumored to be the most haunted, with guests in room 242 reporting being awakened by a woman in a long white dress sitting at the foot of the bed. From the plaza, guests have reported seeing a man lingering in the window of room 214 wearing a seersucker suit, despite the room being vacant at the time of the sightings.
The Union Station Nashville Yards in Nashville, Tennessee
The Union Station Nashville Yards
Originally a train depot on the L&N Railroad, Union Station today is a beautifully restored boutique hotel that preserves Romanesque architecture and features a stained glass ceiling. It also holds a ghost story, as the legendary room 711 is purportedly haunted by a spirit named Abigail who came to the Union Station depot during World War II to see off her beau. After learning he was killed in battle, it’s said Abigail returned to the railway station and threw herself in front of a train.
Over the years, guests have reported hauntings, including flickering lights and sudden plunges in temperature. One traveler staying in room 711 told the hotel staff he heard what sounded like furniture dragging overhead, though the room is on the top floor of the hotel.
Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, Louisiana
Hotel Monteleone Carousel Bar
Above-ground tombs, 18th century vampires, voodoo spells and a steady stream of ghost tours in the French Quarter? It’s no wonder New Orleans is known as one of the most haunted places in America and is a notable filming destination for occult-themed shows and films like “American Horror Story Coven.”
While just about every bar and hotel in the Big Easy has its own collection of ghost stories (some bartenders even leave out sips for their resident spirits), Hotel Monteleone, which is anchored by a Carousel Bar, is known for being one of the premier haunted hotels in New Orleans. The ghostly occurrences are common, here, including a restaurant door that opens almost every night even though it’s locked, according to the hotel.
The hotel also claims it’s also haunted by a friendly toddler named Maurice who died of a fever-induced convulsion while his parents were at the opera and he was entrusted in a nanny’s care. His distraught parents returned to the hotel seeking a visit from his spirit, and Maurice appeared to his mother near the room he died in and said, “Mommy, don’t cry. I’m fine.” Other hotel guests have reported witnessing the toddler on the 14th floor (which is actually the 13th floor).
Malaga Inn in Mobile, Alabama
Malaga Inn
Built on top of a secret tunnel that was rumored to be a hiding spot for soldiers during the Civil War, the Malaga Inn was originally a pair of newly constructed twin mansions that were gifted to a set of sisters as a wedding gift. But could it be the sisters have never abandoned their living quarters? Guests at the 39-room boutique inn have reported seeing a woman in white pacing on the balcony of Room 7, seen chandeliers swinging and furniture moving on its own. Rumored to be one of the most haunted stays in the South, the Malaga Inn was even the setting for a reality TV drama about haunted hotels.
Red Coach Inn in Niagara Falls, New York
Red Coach Inn
For a ghost-themed trip, you can seek out all types of destinations along New York State’s Haunted History Trail. Some of the highlights include the Belhurst Castle in Geneva, where the Isabella Spa and Salon is named after the castle’s most famous ghost, and Miles Wine Cellars in Himrod, where strange happenings like slamming doors and unexplained footsteps occur.
At the English Tudor-style Red Coach Inn that overlooks Niagara’s Upper Rapids, guests have reported paranormal encounters like jewelry moving across dressers and, despite being on the top floor, hearing people dancing above them.
The Oxford Hotel in Denver, Colorado
The Oxford Hotel in Denver
Back in 1898, Florence Montague shot and killed her philandering husband in Room 320 at The Oxford Hotel before taking her own life. To this day, single male guests who stay in the room have reported being taunted by the ghost of Florence, who is rumored to pull sheets off the bed and turn the lights and bathroom faucets on and off.
For more haunts, the hotel’s bar The Cruise Room is reportedly home to a post office ghost who mutters “the children, I have to get the gifts to the children.” According to historical accounts from the hotel, a mailman en route to deliver Christmas presents to children in the mountain town of Central City got stuck in a snowstorm and never made it.
Hotel DeFuniak in Defuniak Springs, Florida
If you’re brave enough, book a stay in Room 8 at Hotel DeFuniak. Guests there have reported ghostly children, eerie nursery rhymes, and even toys floating in the bathtub. But the hauntings don’t end at the hotel. The town’s library is said to be stalked by its very first librarian, still roaming the stacks. And at H & M Hot Dog—the oldest hot dog stand in Florida—late-night staff have heard phantom singing, disembodied voices, and watched the back door swing open and shut on its own.
When I go down the internet rabbit hole of my past, I don’t look up exes or the girls who bullied me in eighth grade. I look instead for things that really hurt: the group home I was in during my junior year of high school that’s now someone’s house; the residential campus near the beach that closed in an abuse scandal; and DeJarnette, the state-run children’s institution that’s now listed as the most haunted asylum in Virginia.
I lived in DeJarnette as a stop-over when I was 14, relatively new to the foster care system, and waiting for a bed to open up at a long-term facility. A quick search for DeJarnette pulls up scores of ghost hunter-type videos showing the usual fare: brave explorers with flashlights and ghost-tracking equipment entering a looming, abandoned brick building.
The white, two-story columns on the front almost seem to glow in the dark. The rows of windows flanking the entrance are boarded up, giving the facade an eerie appearance. Inside, someone insists they saw a shadow move. Someone else calls out that they felt a cold draft. If you’ve watched one haunted nighttime urban exploration video, you’ve seen them all.
The difference is that I walked those halls. I recognize the once-grand arches that frame the doorways. When the adventurers get to the corridor with the bedrooms, and sweep their flashlights along the graffitied walls, I always wonder which one was mine.
The facility, originally known as the DeJarnette State Sanitarium, was founded in 1932 by Dr. Joseph DeJarnette. He’d been in the sanitarium business since 1906, previously managing a colony for people with epilepsy and those he referred to as feebleminded. In the 1920s, he petitioned Virginia’s state government to pass a law allowing compulsory sterilization. His lobbying worked. He targeted those he called “defectives” and the “feeble-minded.”
In addition to people of color, he forcibly sterilized single mothers, alcoholics, those with mental conditions and epilepsy, the poor, and the incarcerated. He was reported to have close ties to Hitler and the Nazis. By 1938, it was said that, at his urging, the United States had sterilized over 27,000 people.
He was ousted from the center in the early 1940s. The building was converted into a children’s mental hospital in 1975 when Virginia took over.
Dr. Joe’s evil spirit is said to walk the halls. Some say they’ve heard children’s voices in the darkness or moans and other noises from the former patients reported to have perished due to medical experiments.
I doubt the teens who once lived there were aware of Dr. DeJarnette by name. I wasn’t. However, the building’s ties to eugenics were among the first things new kids learned about the center.
“Why did they do it?” I asked the girl assigned to show me around on my first day after she’d filled me in on the building’s history.
“They think your kids are gonna end up like you,” she said. “If we don’t have babies, they’ll be less of us and more of them.” I wasn’t totally sure what more of them meant, but I understood less of us. Less of me.
Despite DeJarnette having an imposing presence and a horrifying history, few memories of my time there match the building’s ghostly reputation.
Once a week, we made sandwiches to sell to the staff. I learned to cook bacon for the BLTs that were on the menu. I was clumsy in the kitchen; I left home at 13 and hadn’t cooked much for myself except microwaveable foods and things I could graze on. A DeJarnette counselor showed me how to get the flames on a gas stove exactly right and what to look for when bacon is fully cooked.
Sandwiches were made assembly-line style, with each kid doing a single job dozens of times. The week I was on mayonnaise duty, I learned that you should spread condiments to the edges of the bread. I looked at the slice in my hand. The mayo was an uneven glob. I spread it evenly and proudly fixed all the inadequate slices.
I lived in DeJarnette during the winter. The holidays were approaching. It was my first Christmas in the system. I was learning the ropes, yet I was still hopeful for Christmas presents, even if I wasn’t sure where they would come from.
A woman from a local church came to collect our Christmas wish lists.
“You can get anything you want, as long as it’s less than 10 dollars,” she told us.
My expectations were perpetually low back then. I fixated on the phrase anything you want. There were endless possibilities at that price point. I’d started shoplifting shortly before I left home. I was well aware of the multitudes of things for less than 10 dollars that one can easily slip into a baggy pants pocket. However, I asked for a Def Leppard tape, thinking of the luxury. Tapes were difficult to shoplift. All mine had been left behind. I failed to consider that I no longer had my boom box either.
We celebrated Christmas in the dayroom after lunch. I was thrilled to receive my tape, despite not having a way to listen to it. I knew I would leave DeJarnette as soon as my social worker found a long-term arrangement for me. The tape symbolized hope and the belief that someday, I would have a tape player again.
The author during the time she was in foster care.
Photo Courtesy Of TJ Butler
I don’t have children. I never wanted them, even when I was younger. However, there is a wide gulf between choosing not to have children and someone taking the choice away from you.
Even as society began to condemn Dr. Joe’s ideology, he was a vocal proponent of the practice until he died in 1957. The United States was changing, and by the late 70s, eugenics was considered discriminatory and offensive. Despite progressive attitudes, Virginia continued compulsory sterilization until 1979.
Eugenics allowed a stranger to decide what kind of person you were and what side of more of them and less of us you fell on. Most of us will agree this is an offensive, abhorrent concept. We like to believe we’ve progressed beyond beliefs like that. Yet the fight for reproductive freedom continues today.
October can be a spooky month. A few nights ago, I made a mug of tea and settled onto my couch to watch DeJarnette’s latest ghost chaser videos. I didn’t mind indulging in the rabbit hole as Halloween is approaching. But I’d never go there after dark. I’m not afraid of the spirits of lost children, Dr. Joe’s many victims, and even Dr. Joe himself, who all roam the halls, according to the videos. Instead, I’m afraid of stepping on a nail or cutting myself on rusty metal. At my age, I’m worried about more practical things.
In the world of social services custody, certain places focus on kids who will age out of the system rather than ever going home. I was one of those kids. I left DeJarnette in the spring when a bed opened up for me at a long-term residential center.
I don’t have typical teenage memories of homecoming dances, first dates, sweet 16, or getting a driver’s license. I like to think I have something better; I made it through the system and didn’t become a statistic. I’m thriving today, and that’s worth far more than the girl I was back then would have asked for.
Some people believe decades of past experiences and emotions can leave residual energy in a place. Maybe that’s partly what the ghost hunters are searching for. Because when you consider the collective traumas and experiences of all those who spent time in that cavernous, state-run institution, there was plenty of haunting going on. It wasn’t ghosts, though. It was us.
Do you have a compelling personal story you’d like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what we’re looking for here, and send us a pitch.
.JPG "AHi_j0188(24).JPG")
.JPG "AHi_j0181(31).JPG")
.JPG "AHi_j0250(32).JPG")
